The invention relates generally to a vehicle door module assembled in a vehicle door including an adapter received in an opening in a partition wall that separates a wet area from a dry area. The adapter connects a cable plug of a cable harness to a module plug of a door control module to power an assembly unit of a vehicle door that includes functional components, such as a window lifter motor or door lock. The adapter allows for assembly and disassembly of the door control module and the cable harness from the adapter.
A cable harness is employed to provide power to an assembly unit in a vehicle door that includes various functional components, such as a window lifter or a door lock. In the prior art, a cable plug of the cable harness is connected to a door control module to provide power to the assembly unit. German Patent Publication 196 53 733 discloses an electric plug connection between a door control module and a cable plug. The door control module is a simple circuit that is integrated in a plug connector. The plug connector is inserted in an opening in a partition wall of the vehicle door and includes latching tabs that non-releasably lock the plug connector to the partition wall. The cable plug is plugged into the plug connector on the opposing side of the partition wall. Seals at the interface of the plug connector and the opening in the partition wall provide sealing between the wet area and the dry area of the vehicle door.
A disadvantage to the vehicle door module of the prior art is that the door control module cannot be disassembled from the cable plug because the latching tabs non-releasably lock the plug connector in the opening of the partition wall, preventing removal of the plug connector from the partition wall. Therefore, the door control module cannot be removed from the partition wall.
There is a need in the art for a vehicle door module that allows the door control module to be removable from the partition wall.